PORT CLINTON – It's not often in cities that residents can sit down and ask questions of their mayor, but Port Clinton's Vince Leone hosts Mayor's Night Out events monthly to do just that.

Leone hosted the June event Thursday evening in the council chambers at city hall, discussing the progress of construction on Second Street, water and sewer lines in the city and upgrades coming to the West End park.

One of the first questions was about the street sweeper, which a resident said he had been asked about.

"It comes down to manpower," Leone said. "We have 11 guys on the department but only about nine on any given day. We've got a lot of potholes to fill, and the recent storm put us behind a bit. But it should be going out at least once a week."

Leone said the storm two weeks ago put the water treatment plants to the test, but there were no clogged screens and no blockage.

"We were really pleased," he said.

A recent $25,000 ditch project near Magruder Hospital on Fulton helped prevent flooding in that area as well

"The cooperation between the residents and the hospital made all the difference. There was no flooding at the hospital."

The conversation then moved to the $2.3 million reconstruction of Second Street.

"It's not been a smooth ride. We knew that going in," Leone said. "It's like a maze down there. Many of the lines were dug by hand. People would just tap into them from all over."

Leone said the project — which will include new water and sewer lines, electric lines placed underground, new pavement, sidewalks, curbs, and storm drains — is slightly behind but is moving forward steadily.

"The lines are about 75 years old. They should be replaced about every 40 to 50 years, tops," he said. "We're finding things and making corrections now so we won't have to go back in in a few years."

Leone said the soil, which has a lot of sand in it, has made digging down to the lines take longer, as the soil caves in and workers have to dig wider. The cost of the project is still on track, he said.

Many of the lines are being relined with piping that prevents them from caving in or collecting groundwater, like concrete does, and costs half the price of completely replacing them. The new lines will last a minimum of 50 years, he said.

"Did you see the picture of the wooden line on Jefferson Street?" Curtis "Shorty" Frabott asked the mayor.

Port Clinton Fire Chief Kent Johnson had a picture of a wooden water line from around 130 Jefferson, which Frabott estimated was from the late 1800s or early 1900s.

"It's just crazy that's how they used to do things," Leone said.

In other progress for the city, the West End park will be receiving its new playground equipment, grills, picnic tables and basketball court equipment within the next two weeks.

"We plan on having a cookout over there and inviting the community, it's going to be really nice," Leone said.